Recognizing the impact of Community Foundations

How do Community Foundations such as the Lenawee Community Foundation impact our own community?

Community foundations are independent nonprofits that assist individuals, other nonprofits, businesses, and communities with their charitable goals. Over the last ten years the Lenawee Community Foundation has partnered with generous donors to:

Provide more than $10 million in grants and scholarships – more than any other nongovernmental organization.

Strengthen our community with initiatives such as the Imagination Library, Lenawee YOUTH Council, VOLUNTEER Lenawee!, Hunters Helping Lenawee, and Health across Lenawee.

Work to build a brighter future for Lenawee through permanently endowed gifts from which earnings benefit Lenawee.

The Lenawee Community Foundation attributes its success to:

Honoring our donors’ wishes and values

Assuring stewardship of gifts by utilizing sound financial and investment strategies, meeting national standards, and receiving a clean opinion on each annual audit

Partnering with financial advisors to assure contributions are used wisely, and that donors receive the maximum tax and legal advantages from their charitable gifts

Sharing our donors’ passion for our community, as we assist them in fulfilling their charitable wishes.

From November 12-18, 2014, Lenawee Community Foundation will join more than 700 community foundations across America celebrating Community Foundation Week. Since former President George H.W. Bush honored the work of community foundations 25 years ago, the annual celebration has raised awareness about the increasingly important role of these philanthropic organizations.

If you are interested in exploring how you can make the future of our community better, the Lenawee Community Foundation would love to work with you. Contact Sue Hammersmith, President & CEO, for more information of how you can help make a difference in your own community. There are many ways we can work together to transform our community “for good for ever”!

The Lenawee Community Foundation was organized in the 1950’s as the Tecumseh Community Fund Foundation. In the earlier days, this foundation operated as an annual fundraiser, distributing the funds raised each year.